50 Mile Midnight Madness and The Spring

 Remember me?   Probably not as it has been WAY TOO LONG since I have posted anything here. Life has been anything bust stagnant!

A LOT has changed since our last post! For one, I am now a Proud Grandfather! Benjamin Joseph Clark was born on June 28, 2023. What a joy! (actually, it is way more than that!)

Also, just (4) days prior to his birth, I was Ordained a Permanent Deacon in the Roman Catholic Church for the Diocese of Tulsa & Eastern Oklahoma!    God is indeed good!

To jump right into the latest, Human/Sex Trafficking is not only HUGE PROBLEM globally, but even right here in our home area of Tulsa, Oklahoma! In the last decade, homelessness has increased 15%, and the percentage of those homeless who have NO SHELTER has gone up 37% It is many of these people who fall victim to Human & Sex Trafficking!

It is a problem that JUST NEEDS TO BE ELIMINATED . . . PERIOD!

Know No Boundaries has partnered with The Spring; here in the Tulsa area; to help raise money for them as they provide services for those individuals who have been rescued from the trafficking matrix to help them re-establish their sense of dignity and to help them with the various forms of counseling for them to re-integrate themselves back into society.

Know No Boundaries will be running the 50 Mile Midnight Madness on July 5, 2025 and will be raising funds to help The Spring. 100% of all funds donated will be given to The Spring. 

Please consider making a Tax Deductible Donation to Know No Boundaries to help us help The Spring & rid our world of this heinous evil!

Blessings;

Deacon Ken Saveth

Founder & Managing Director

Know No Boundaries

Badwater 267 VR

Know No Boundaries will be running Badwater 267 VR during the month of January.

BADWATER: It’s a frame of mind, a global family of horizon-chasers, and a statement to the world about priorities and preconceived notions of what is possible. Badwater is a way of life! Are you ready to Badwater in 2021?

AdventureCORPS® – the organizers of the iconic worldwide series of Badwater® races – are pleased to announce two BADWATER 267 virtual races in which competitors will virtually and sequentially traverse the routes of all three Badwater® races – the 51-mile Badwater Cape Fear, the 81-mile Badwater Salton Sea, and the 135-mile Badwater 135 – for a total of 267 miles. These are the three events which comprise the legendary Badwater Ultra Cup – and now Badwater 267 VR.

• Badwater 267 VR > a 31-Day Event from January 1 to January 31: Starting on New Year’s Day, you will have 31 days to complete 267 miles on foot and you can do them anywhere you want, including on a treadmill or indoor track.

This event is part of our ongoing mission to be the example to drive others to break through their boundaries as well.

"BEAR" With is (actually, without us)

We are running the Virtual Polar Bear Marathon Saturday, November 7, 2020 & have partnered with Athletes in Action in order to 1) Raise awareness of the needs of Northern Canada's indigenous First Nations and 2) to send 100% of all funds raised during this event to them to help. with current travel restrictions due to COVID-19, many races have gone virtual.

Although there will be a few local First Nations runners in Churchill, Manitoba,

most are running it virtually.

Although we won't get the "enjoyment" of the -30 degrees F weather

OR the polar bear spectators, we will still; be running the 42km distance.

Our ask - - - PLEASE click on the DONATE button at the top of this page to make

a tax deductible donation to Know No Boundaries & help us, help others.

As I mentioned, 100% of all money raise will go to help the First Nations people through Athletes in Action.

And So it Continues

Life as we knew it is gone. Whatever our past "normal" was, it is & will be no longer. We must realize that whatever our NORMAL was, is not coming back. We have a NEW NORMAL. One that is fraught with twists, turns and dead ends.

And although it will be like a maze, we can navigate our way through it.

It will take more than grit & determination! It will take a total reliance on God & His Divine Providence to help guide us through this cacophony of uncertainties.

Here at Know No Boundaries, we continue to push forward on all fronts. Although the methodology is different, the ultimate goal of breaking boundaries, breaking those internally woven chains continues.

Endurance events are still happening & we are still participating in them, albeit all while practicing "social distancing". (NOTE: For us, this has NEVER been a problem as we are always so far behind everyone, we are social distanced from the get go! 😆

The events that we have on our calendar are our Virtual Run Marathon (scheduled for July 31st), the Tulsa Urban Adventure in September (likely the 50 miler) & then a leisurely 100km at Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd in October.
Although these challenging times may seem to go on forever, Keep On Keeping On. Keep your eyes focused on God, run the race set before you and YOU WILL win!




Until next time - - - - God Bless you;
Ken

Life Has Been on Hold!

Seeing a my last Blog Post was after the 2020 running of the Post Oak Challenge, LIFE as we knew it, has changed.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed life as we knew it for the entire planet! We have Live BEFORE COVID-19 and Life AFTER COVID-19. There is no going back, no do-overs, no life as it "used to be."

There are plenty of people touting that they can't wait until life gets "back to normal" (whatever that "normal" is).

Each and every time that I hear this, I cringe! I hope and pray that we NEVER get back to "normal." At least if that "normal" is life as it was.

Normal was crowded restaurants, stores and parks with people with their faces all buried in their cell phones! Normal was crowded roads and highways with people complaining of the traffic or the slow-poke in front of them as they are running late for some critical meeting (or sorts). Normal was pulling up to the drive-thru at your local Starbucks for that latte or mocha to drink on your way "somewhere."

"Who was that masked man" (from the Lone Ranger or old Batman re-runs) will now have a different meaning!

If all of this is the "normal" that we are all too eager to get back to . . . . I PRAY that we NEVER return to it.

I pray that a warm hand-shake when meeting someone new means more. I pray that spending one on one, face-to-face time with friends at a locally owned coffee shop having real conversations flourishes. I pray that smart phones are looked at a bit closer by smart people who divest themselves from their incessent addiction to them and spend real time with family, friends, colleagues and even enjoy Nature (God's creation).

Let us awaken from this stupor in which we've been in for several years to truly value what is important!

Until next time - - God Bless You;
Ken

2020 Post Oak Challenge (25km)

This year's Post Oak Challenge was indeed a challenge. Severe intestinal cramps the entire night before the race relegated me to dropping back to the 25 km distance (rather than the 50 km) that was originally planned.

Wet days prior to the race made for very wet & muddy running. Plenty of roots, rocks & hills! There were some GREAT views of the countryside and some of downtown Tulsa, but I had my work cut out for me as I plodded through the course.

At the last Aid Station, I was ready to throw in the towel. THANK YOU Lynna for talking me into continuing on. All I had was to climb the Hill From Hell, plod through more roots, rocks & hills, make it through the Heaven's Gate to make it to the finish line.

I was soooo ready to be finished. This was a tough race for me.

One thing that I do look forward to in every one of my races, is the wonderful conversations that I have with Our Lord. As I spend a lot of time alone, it is in the quietness that I can hear Him. Whatever suffering that I had during the race, is always offered up for the suffering souls in Purgatory. Hopefully offering this will relieve some of their suffering & bring them sooner to the Beatific Vision that we all long for.

Speaking of grand visions, my vision of the finish line was indeed a welcome site.

Blessings to you until next time;                                                                                                                                   Ken

Back On Track (with my book that is)

Well . . . . . . it has been a while since I have been here. My apologies. Things have been nothing short of totals chaos around the house. Aside from all of of the personal "stuff" that has been transpiring, my being back in school & the associated reading and paper writing the comes along with it has been taking up A LOT OF MY TIME.

None-the-less, I am set on worn on, finishing and publishing my book; "Running From the Heart: An Ultra Runner's Conversation with God" by this summer.

I have reached out to several ultra runners that I know and who are devout lovers of God and who have deep dialogues with Him during their ultra endurance events.

It will be a compilation of the stories, reflections, transformations & struggles that each of the highlighted runners, how they have brought God into their ultra running & how they converse with him before the event, during their darkest moments in the midst of the race and the praise & thanksgiving they give Him when they are done.

Stay tuned for updates & the eventual publishing of it soon enough.


Thank you & God Bless you;
Ken

2019 Ultra Cowboy Ultra 50km CANCELED

Friends, due to very low registration for this year's Ultra Cowboy Ultra 50km, we are having to CANCEL it.

It takes a lot of time & effort (all you Race Directors KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT) & if we don't have enough runners registered, it is not worth the time & effort to put it on.

Even though this was to be a FREE EVENT as a Fundraiser for local cycling Phenomenon Hannah Jordan, we cannot justify the amount of work to put it on without enough runners.

Please stay tuned as we will either hold another event at Prairie Song later in the year, or hopefully the first part of 2020.

Thank you for understanding & God Bless You.


Blessings;
Ken

The Next Step - - Just Do It!

We ALL know the phrase "Just Do It" & the infamous Nike Swoosh. But what does it actually mean? How do you take it, internalize it & actually DO IT?

Well, the first step is to Own It. Make it your own to where YOU can relate to it. Make to where DOING IT gives you joy & where the mere thought of DOING IT, does indeed propel you to DO IT!

Once you begin, that joy that you seek will come. If you immerse yourself enough, the joy may even be overwhelming. And the more you do it, the more you want to do it. And the more you want to do it, that Warm Fuzzy Feeling that we all love, will come & take up residence within you.


 
What is it now that you are "just doing?"

Why HELPING of course!

Helping - Have you ever wondered HOW you can help?

When Albert Einstein was asked "Why are we here?" (as in what is the reason that we are here on Earth & for what purpose), he answered without hesitation, "Man is here to serve other men." (that is mankind). We are here to serve others & to the extent that we do so, so are our own needs met.

The late great Zig Ziglar said that "we can get everything we want, if we help enough other people get what they want." So . . . . . you may be wondering - "How can I help others?" "What can I do to make a difference in the lives of others?"


The word to use is H-E-L-P. Help another. You may think that it is the smallest of things, but to the person being helped, it may be monumental; even life changing! It can be physically helping, emotionally helping, spiritually helping or financially helping.

There are countless organizations (literally) whose mission is to help others in a plethora of ways.


Know No Boundaries is one of those organizations. As you can see through many of our posts here, on Social Media or on our website, we help those who seem to need that "little push", that catalyst to push them just a bit to start the momentum of their breaking through their obstacle or boundary.


We are currently helping young Jordan Hannah who was born with a debilitating disease yet has overcome many obstacles to be a stellar up and coming competitive cyclist. Our goal here at Know No Boundaries is for Jordan to be the recipient of the funds raised at the 2018 Ultra Cowboy Ultra 50km race to be held later this year in September at Prairie Song in Dewey, Oklahoma.


Stay tuned for more details on HOW to help & HOW to register.




Blessings;
Ken

Jaybird's the Word!

Know No Boundaries has partnered with Jaybird to showcase their AMAZING Jaybird RUN wireless earbuds!
 All we can say is WOW! The sound is incredible! It is customizable to whatever sound styles that you like. They are also TRULY WIRELESS. There are absolutely no wires at all between the two earbuds!

We have taken them out to Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd & were totally blown away with their performance.

A single charge will get you 4 hours of listening time & if you stash the charging pod in your hydration pack, you'll be good for another 4 hours. That's a total of 8 HOURS of pristine music (or talking if you're so inclined).

The treble, bass & mid-range settings are second to none.

Our suggestion - - - - GET A PAIR NOW!

Blessings;
Ken

2018 Tulsa Urban Adventure

Good afternoon. Although it's been a while since my last post (I know, I need to get better!), I wanted to briefly shout out that Know No Boundaries will be "pushing boundaries" once more on September 29th at the 2018 Tulsa Urban Adventure.


After a "Crash & Burn" at the last (2) races, we decided to "regroup" & evaluate our hydration & caloric intake plan.



None-the-less, we're running the 50 miler this Saturday (and Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd in October) to once again prove that BOUNDARIES CAN BE BROKEN and that much of our limitations are between our ears!










Come out to support us & all the other runners. And while you're there, support Runner's World Tulsa as well!


Blessings;
Ken

2nd Ultra Cowboy Ultra 50km - Race Report

Overdue is a bit of an understatement! My apologies for this late race report on the 2nd Ultra Cowboy Ultra 50km.

As most people knew, this fundraiser was for Kelvin T Reid,
a local ultra runner who was diagnosed with ALS back in 2016.
Last year, Kelvin “tucked his feeding tube into his shorts & just
took off to run 25 km of the 50 km race distance.

This year however, was nowhere near the same.

2018 was a time where Kelvin’s condition took a huge dive resulting in his loss of the ability to eat solid food, walk, talk or even take care of personal hygiene! The need for the fundraiser was even greater as his needs & the needs of his wife Jess were mounting.

TWO DAYS before the Ultra Cowboy Ultra 50 km, Kelvin lost his battle with ALS & went to meet Our Lord. He is now without pain, without suffering & running on trails beyond any human imagination & without tiring!

Nonetheless, the race was held! Prairie Song was the Start/Finish.Runners went out of Prairie Song, along a short bit of paved road, onto the Doenges Ranch & then turned around at 7 1/2 miles. One full loop was 25 (ish) miles & two loops would make it 50 km (more or less!).

A TREMENDOUS SHOUT OUT to Jenni Hawkins for helping at the Start/Finish & for taking photos of the runners along the course, Ellen Agronis, her son & grandson for helping at the Half Way Aid Station & for Kevin Lemaster & his son for doing the Turn Around Aid Station.

A LAST MINUTE SURPRISE, was Kelvin’s wife Jess, who felt that Kelvin would have wanted her to run, so she came out & ran
about 10 km with Kelvin’s spirit alongside every step.

An Anonymous donor picked up the cost of the medals, so all finishers got a unique custom medal designed by another local runner; Travis Jennings.

Congratulations to Mark, Amanda, Devon, Jona & Krystal for running a very beautiful course. Here’s a few photos from the course - 

Many thanks to those companies who sponsored portions of the race. #Sprouts, #Hydrapak, #MonsterEnergy, #PrimalSpiritFoods & #UltraGator.


God Bless;
Ken

Welcome Monster Energy Drink AGAIN, as an Event Sponsor

Once again, Know No Boundaries would like to welcome Monster Energy Drinks as an event sponsor.

They have come through for the second year in a row, to sponsor our ultra event.

This year, it is the Ultra Cowboy Ultra 50km to raise monies for local ultra runner Kelvin T Reid who was diagnosed with ALS in 2016 & is now fighting for his life!

Need Energy? Be a Monster!

Welcome HydraPak as a Sponsor of the 2018 Ultra Cowboy Ultra 50km

We’d like to welcome HydraPak as a sponsor of the 2018 Ultra Cowboy Ultra 50km scheduled for July 7th at Prairie Song in Dewey, Oklahoma.

Need a GREAT WAY to stay hydrated during your long, hot runs? Be sure to pick up HydraPak’s SpeedCup to stuff into your pocket or backpack. That way your assured to have that perfect vessel to drink when it counts!

The 2nd Ultra Cowboy Ultra 50 km is

scheduled for July 7th at Prairie

Song Village in Dewey, Oklahoma.

The race is once again, a fundraiser

for local ultra runner Kelvin Reid who

was diagnosed with ALS & who’s health

has deteriorated substantially since our 

race last year.

In order to keep costs & requirements to

a minimum, it is a FREE event however

Tax Deductible Donations are encouraged.

You can click in the DONATE button on our

website make your donation now, or join us

for an amazing ultra run & bring your donation

then.

The link to Eventbrite to register is HERE.

Break Through in 2018

Well friends, 2017 is about in the books & 2018 is about to begin.

Are you ready? Have you reviewed your 2017 resolutions to see if you’ve achieved any of them? All of them? NONE OF THEM?

I try to make a habit to make my New Year’s Resolution list a list of things that I truly want to improve, change, eliminate or start. Too many people use their New Year’s Resolutions as a time to list that “they’re going to loose weight”, “stop smoking”, “eat healthier”, etc. You get the picture. They are things that they need to be doing anyway, right now! If you are overweight now, you need to loose weight now, not at the beginning of the year. If you want to quit smoking or eat healthier, NOW IS THE TIME!

Use your New Year’s Resolutions as a way to dig a bit deeper into yourself & resolve to make this next year, a year of break throughs! A year to overcome those self-set, see-limiting obstacles that have been holding you back from being your ultimate self!

Resolve to read more, pray more, make more friends, help others more, participate in your synagogue, church, mosque or community more.

I can promise you, by doing these things, you will become more. You will grow in ways unimaginable.

I am not brushing off the importance or the need to loose the extra weight, the need to quit smoking or eat healthier, I am just encouraging you to focus on the bigger picture; not solely on yourself. In my experience, by giving more of yourself to others, to strive to help others be more, in the process, you will find that when you were not looking, you would have achieved your goals n the process.

Wishing you & yours a very prosperous 2018.


Blessings;
Ken

Never Give Up, Never Give Up, Never, Never Give Up

I ran across this picture the other day & it really hit me that this picture, depicts the true meaning behind Know No Boundaries.

When we seem to be stuck in a rut or overwhelmed by obstacles, we need to know that the reality of being able to BREAK THROUGH these self-set, self-limiting obstacles is decided on within our own minds.

WE DECIDE what we can or cannot do, can or cannot overcome, can or cannot become!

The old Confucius saying is so true, “Man who say it cannot be done, should not interrupt man doing it.”

NOW GO DO IT!


Blessings;
Ken

Know No Boundaries Partners with #GRAYL Water Filtration Systems

As an avid trail runner  as well as an ultra marathon runner, I understand the tremendous importance of proper & adequate hydration.

When you can carry your own water or there are aid stations along a ride course it is great.

But what about when you’re out of water on a long solo run? What do you do then?

The solution is #GRAYL Water Filtration Systems. 

Know No Boundaries has partnered with GRAYL Water Filtration Systems to be providing (2) of their AWESOME filtration systems to the Male & Female winners of Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd in October.

If your not planning on being one of them, you need to get one on your own!

As an avid trail runner, you need to be sure do stay hydrated.

                                                                                      (photo courtesy of @domchannon)

Every adventure involves some risk, but wise adventurers aren’t reckless. Whether you’re on the trail needing to drink from a dirty stream, filling upat a questionable hotel sink in Peru, or making your emergency preparedness kit — GRAYL has you covered. Our products feature full-spectrum protection from pathogens (virus, bacteria and protozoa), sediment, chemicals and heavy metals.

GRAYL has proudly joined thousands of adventures all across the globe; from mountaintop to raging river, and to almost every country on the planet. We can’t wait to see where you take us next. When you get there, drop us a line. GRAYL

Bragi - A TRUE Wireless Headset Takes it "to the Next Level" During the Ultra Cowboy Ultra 50km

Here's a GREAT article by Bragi - an innovative company who is taking wireless headphones to a totally "new level"

Know No Boundaries

Do not only talk the talk, but also walk the walk. Learn how Ken Saveth and his organization support people in becoming better.

16. June 2017    

We all know how hard life can be sometimes. No matter where you look you see boundaries. In such a situation, a friendly gesture or just somebody believing in you is more valuable than anything.

We here at Bragi started our journey trying to free people from boundaries as well. It is not only removing wires from your headphone but a deep belief in helping human beings and enabling them to do better. This was the initial thought and is still inspiring us to do better every day and to offer our customers a product which improves their daily life and encourages them to reach out and break their boundaries.


A story which moved and inspired us all here at Bragi was the story of Ken Saveth!


Ken Saveth, founder and managing director of “Know No Boundaries”, decided to become such a “catalyst” as he calls it. His mission is to help people free themselves from their boundaries and to give them a little push to get their lives back on track- either emotionally or financially.


In order to do so, he founded the charity organization “Know No Boundaries”.  At “Know No Boundaries” they do “not only talk the talk, but they walk the walk” as Ken says. They do not only encourage others to break their boundaries but also challenge their own ones by participating in ultra endurance events. Ken, as a dedicated husband and father is not an athlete, he is just a regular man trying to break his own boundaries by participating in ultra marathon runs. His aim is to set an example by showing that if he can do this, everybody can do so.


Recently “Know no Boundaries” raised $10k dollars in the Ultra Cowboy Ultra 50km ultra marathon supporting one of the local ultra runners; Kelvin Reid; who was diagnosed with ALS last year. No matter his restriction Kelvin fought his way back to the track and managed to break out of his boundaries and participate in the Ultra race.

It is not only about the financial support but by the amount of people believing and caring for his fortune

Inspired by this stroke of faith many donors were touched and “Know No Boundaries” was able to raise this incredible amount of money to support Kelvin with his medical expenses and made it possible for him to start his second stem cell treatment.


It is not only about the financial support but by the amount of people believing and caring for his fortune, Kelvin was enabled to break out of his boundaries and successfully participate in an ultra race not many people would be able to keep up.

“Bragi is taking it to the next level.”

Despite all the organizational efforts combined with this event, Ken managed to participate the run, too. To make his run more enjoyable we sent Ken The Dash so he could try it out.


Here at Bragi, we were looking forward to his feedback. We are that he enjoyed running with The Dash a lot. What Ken loved most about it is “to get physical feedback right during the run”. Even more honored we felt about his comment “Bragi is taking it to the next level”.


This story inspires us and we hope that it inspires our followers to think outside their box and enjoy life to the fullest and not let themselves be stopped by any boundaries in life.